Rosen Blades
by Balviet123
Summary: The priest wanders in the darkness, searching on a quest for a light that is high above his head in the heavens of Zenithia.  *Use of North American translations for towns and characters!* Kiryl/Alena
1. Chapter 1

Fires were the least of his concern, and neither were any attacks that most others were concerned with. He was afraid of rejection, as he always had been. Afraid of the one thing that all humans needed in order to grow and shape; life was surely cursed for him from the beginning.

How could it not be? A priest in a castle wasn't supposed to get rejected, was he? They were supposed to be praised and repeated, and all complaints were to be completely ignored. So when it came to things he _could _be rejected during, a panging fear always forced him several steps behind.

"Alena?" That was how he always began a serious conversation. It was terribly strange and generic, but he was terribly unoriginal.

"Yes?" Red and gold eyes, the colors of strength and power would always glimmer and stare up at his tall, lean frame. Curly red hair peeked out from beneath her curious hat and would wink and taunt him during his time of absolute discomfort.

"I was…" That was where he always lost his voice and comfort. Deep down, he wanted to kiss and hug and show how much he loved her. But the fear of rejection…it always petrified him. No magic or prayer to the Goddess would right his fears. For years, he had been hoping that, but with no avail. "Never mind."

Either then or a few more words in, a random party member would invade their personal conversation. It was as though his curse was not only limited to fear, but to cowardice. Never did he speak up and try to reschedule their conversation. Rather, he would drop it and back off instantly.

Typically it was Solo or Borya, trying to invade upon the two's moment of peace. It made sense, at least. Everyone wanted Alena on his or her team, and everyone wanted to talk with the princess of Zamoksva. Who wouldn't? She was beautiful and strong, and technically the unconditional ruler of the Russian-based kingdom.

Once their conversation were interrupted, Kiryl would go off and battle alone, aspiring to be powerful and great like Solo. As was the standard rule of adventure, no woman gave a second glance at the pure-hearted white magician like him. The hero was always the center of attention.

Truthfully, the only one he could possibly confide in was that French fortune-teller Meena, but even she wasn't the best. What he really wanted to do was confide in the woman he loved, but there was no way to do that without ultimately risking rejection.

"Maybe I just need some male feedback," After his brief meeting with Meena for the day, he considered that. "Maybe a male friend would tell me more of what to do. Women always say to just be patient."

After a logical thinking process, Kiryl determined that Torneko would be the best bet, for he was married with a beloved child, meaning that he knew a thing or two about how to get into a successful relationship. Besides, most of the time Torneko was left behind.

That was the last time he would ever accept help from someone in the party.

Truthfully, the talk hadn't been too bad, but it had been...awkward.

"Torneko...I mean, Mr. Taloon?" He had smiled reluctantly as he had peeked into the wagon that the rest of them had been left behind in while the four lucky ones got to go adventure in a cave that was supposedly too narrow to drag a wagon through. "Can I talk to you about something?"

Purple eyebrows shot up to hide behind shaggy, uncut matching hair that somehow formed a very nice hairline on the underdressed, sloppy middle-aged man. "What is it, kiddo? Something the matter?"

"Yeah, I guess. Mind if I talk to you?"

"Absolutely. Come on it. What is it, boy?" His jolly demeanor was actually what Kiryl needed most at this point. "Would you care for some smoked meat, Kiryl?" A greasy hand handed a leg of meat, but Kiryl lifted a hand to respectfully decline.

"It's..." Kiryl lifted himself into the back of the wagon, undoing the belt that kept the sheath for his weapon of choice, a lance, at his back. If he wasn't needed, there was no need to be geared up. The armor could stay; he at least needed to be halfway prepared. "I'm having some...troubles. With—"

"With Alena, right?" A shy smile formed his facial expression, eyes a gentle glow.

"Yes! How did—"

"Kiryl. You obviously love the woman. Every time those Float-O-Copier bastards turns into her, you can't bear to fight full force. _Everyone _can see it. Why don't you just tell her?"

Bile rose in his throat as he quickly paled, then swallowed the hard acid clump before speaking another word. "I am...frightened. I want her to find out on her own. And I will do whatever it takes."

"You're willing to follow that one girl forever just to see if he likes you back? Kid, you've got your whole life ahead of you. Why not look for companionship elsewhere? Meena and Maya are open, y'know? Why tie yourself down that way?"

"I _love _her, Torneko!" His face flushed with unabated, raw humiliation at his own words. As he lowered his head in an attempt to feebly masquerade as fine, he felt the elder's stare on him. "Stop looking at me. I...I hate it. I love Alena, but she doesn't get it. I asked you because you've married and have a kid. I _will _follow her anywhere. I love her _that _much."

"Well, _something _isn't attracting her. If you find out that bit out, the girl'll be in love with you." All of a sudden, Torneko seemed much more faithful in Kiryl's decision.

At least the merchant gave him _some _sort of helpful advice. Granted, Kiryl was quite grateful that Torneko had given him the time of day, but that didn't mean that the priest had obtained virtually any knowledge during that time.

Before Torneko could possibly dissuade Kiryl or try to dishearten him from finding the pearly key to Alena's heart, the young priest crept out of the wagon, consciously forgetting his lance. If he was just going to think, he needed no artillery.

The region they were in was infested with horrifying demons, but the man figured his magic would suffice. While the 'fighting' team had gone off in search of some legendary armor, the remainders were left around Rosetown, a quiet establishment with few denizens and even fewer humans. Why Solo had thought this was a good place to hang around and regroup was beyond Kiryl, but so was everything about this quest.

"Before, it was just Alena trying to prove that she could live away from the castle. Then it became a quest to save everyone else, like Anastasia in Taborov and Anya in Vrenor. Then it was a test of Alena's courage to get the Birdsong Nectar for her father." Slowly, Kiryl began softly whispering the details of his quest alongside the princess and her tutor. There was no one around; he may as well. "We saved him, and he let us go to Endor. She won the tournament there, and then everyone was gone when we came back. We just lost accomplices. She lost her family, her friends…everyone. It's no wonder she wanted to leave so shortly after.

"Then we got on that boat, and I got sick. Who was there to risk her life to save me? She was. She ran off in search of an extinct drug. For me. All I've done is heal her wounds. When have I risked my life for her? Maybe that's what I need to do!" Never before had he felt so exhilarated and _fresh_.

That being said, what was he supposed to do about that? From a young age, he had cared more about saving others. "I could never think of being a stronger fighter than I already am. My power comes from the feeling of helping save lives, not from hatred or a false of security because of some lucky shots."

The past returned to him in a flurry-induced monsoon of past attempts to win her over, and the fear that perhaps she thought him to be a stalker of sorts. Everything he had done had been out of love, but she didn't seem to see that soft, kind, persistent side of him.

Winds blew in the distance, tousling his clothing and making itself out to be quite the nuisance, fitting as the Goddess may have thought it to be. The thought of Alena and her frizzed, curled hair that shone in the sunlight as well as when it was bathed in the moonlight; her gentle yet fierce smile that stretched her pale pink lips, and the calm, serene look in her eyes when there was no battle to be had; it was still not enough for his mind to back off from with the knowledge that there was no way he would ever win her over. The sole idea stuck in the very back of his mind like a dull roar; how could such a tiny opinion slash through and decimate all the hope he had had before?

"Is it really just me?" What was he thinking? Of course it was all his fault.

Unless…

"She risked her life to save me, but no more. Now she fights just fort he adrenaline the war gives her." His young thoughts cycled and churned around that one idea. "But why? She fought in a tournament dedicated entirely to battle before, and the disappearance of her father had done nothing except for bring her closer to myself and Borya. Why else would she have changed so much?"

Only one thing fit the bill. Her encounter with Solo and the others. Nothing else had appeared to make her so _strange._

"Borya said she was astounded with Solo and his comrades' overbearing strength. Maya and Meena are powerful magicians, but they don't seem to catch her eye. Could Solo really have…"

Disgusted with the idea, Kiryl couldn't even bring himself to say what the concept was. Had Solo really…stolen Alena from him without even trying? It made sense, but…

No. He wouldn't believe it. Couldn't believe it. He had gone through all too much to be told that all of his love notes and sketches and worries had been in vain.

"There's just no way. How could Solo…" His head spun too fast; no thoughts were clear enough to be picked out. "How could he take her away from me if everyone supposedly knows I like her?"

The footsteps that could be classified as a stomping followed soon after, rage and jealousy filling him, making him ever closer to his personal breaking point.

Grasses swept past his battle-worn and faded leather boots, adding to the collection of grass stains that occupied that space and his pants. Each step echoed in his mind as he clenched is fists and narrowed his typically calm, wide eyes.

Rough, uneven footsteps shook the ground, though he at first valued them as his own. "I must just be hallucinating…" Was his first thought, thinking nothing could top his rage directed at Solo and even himself for not recognizing and terminating the problem quicker.

A few seconds more passed before the footsteps became louder and more prominent than Kiryl cold mindlessly file away as nothing. Not just that, but…

"They don't match my own…" His voice shook and cracked, hairs on the back of his neck prickling and standing up on end as he frantically searched for the weapon he always carried, only to recall that he had left it behind, thinking he wouldn't need it. "Of course. Absolutely. The one time I'm…"

Flames erupted beneath his feet, catching on his cloth garb and climbing about his limbs. Kiryl quickly jumped back and doused the flames by frantically patting himself, earning painful burns on his hands and body.

He didn't know quite what this thing was, but it had scales and horns and looked like an olden painting of Estark himself. These monsters were undeniably difficult even with the remainder of the party, and he being alone without any new armor or even his weapon didn't help. How in Zenithia did he expect to succeed?

Sharp, hardened claws scratched at his iron armor, the screaming sound hitting his ears with insane strength.

He couldn't win this.

Desperate for an attack, Kiryl folded his hands into fists and threw a punch at the enemy. Wind flew past him as his body stumbled forward, missing his target entirely.

Claws raked over him again, releasing blood from his veins and leaving long, deep marks in his armor. He couldn't win this battle; there was just no foreseeable way.

No. He couldn't just accept death. Before, when he had been with Alena and Borya alone, he had fought without proper equipment and had wrecked their enemies. Why was he so weak now? Solely because of a possible threat to his love life?

The creature stared him down, and Kiryl felt an onslaught of pure emotion slipping into his bloodstream. Some fought for justice or peace or even glory, but he would never do that. Power came from love for him, and he would protect his life with that.

Eyes narrowed and heart racing about three times its normal speed, he felt dark power overtake him. He had hoped that he could be an example to all the priests in the world, for Kiryl had seen many a priest be bogged down by selfish desires. But this power…it was phenomenal.

"Whack!" Kiryl yelled, and dark mist wrapped around the foe, a hand composed of deep indigo light form from the mist and hit the enemy, inducing its demise.

"I did it…" He whispered, blinking and feeling sheer joy overtake him. "I killed a monster on my own! Just like that!" Before another creature of evil could appear, the young priest healed himself fully.

"Solo needed help from Maya and Meena to kill even low-level monsters. A real hero shouldn't need to do that! I supported two other people when we were all weak, too!" Maybe it was overconfidence talking because he had defeated such a fiend, but it felt _good_!

"Why was I so afraid of being out front? I'm just as strong as Solo! Maybe even _more _powerful!"

All of those years of helping others and being afraid to fight…had they been for naught? Would being direct and living to love Alena and defeat enemies have been better? Kiryl had always considered being good and pure to be stronger, but maybe the tales of good defeating evil had been spoken and recorded slanted, so everyone would try to be good and then fall defeated.

"I need to show Solo I'm still more powerful. I can show him I'm the most powerful man on this team. Heroes…we're all heroes. Just because our families weren't killed doesn't mean we're not heroes. We were chosen to survive Psaro's attack on Zamoksva and the rest of the world. What makes _him _so special?" As he spoke, he traversed closer to Rosetown to purchase more equipment. Though Solo did a fair job or ensuring that they all got the newest armor and weapons, it was often that he would solely buy for the members scheduled to go on the actual adventure. In this case, since he wasn't invited to excavate or explore the unknown caverns, his needs had been overlooked.


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is dedicated to Koji, whose tremendously positive review pushed me to pump out this new chapter. I own nothing of Dragon Quest IV except for this plot, and I hope you enjoy! Review to tell me what I should work on, or even what you think I did well! Thank you and have a good day!**

Kiryl, as he traveled, could feel the merciless stares and glares of the monsters that dwelled in the area. It put him off a bit, but he kept his composure and continued with a strong, powerful presence.

"I wonder if they've let anyone die yet," Though he needed to be keeping his mind in where he was, his thoughts kept drifting over to where Alena and Solo were. "It wouldn't surprise me. Solo goes into a full attack force with all of us. Then he seems irate whenever one of us dies. If he were a good leader, he would incorporate our strengths so we could neutralize our weaknesses in our party. How hard is it to make a cleric heal or a powerful mage cast spells? Why would you force us to attack?"

His mind was continuously attempting to find weakness in Solo, so much that it made focusing on anything else nearly impossible. Each step he took toward Rosetown felt like a challenge of endurance against Solo; each breath was one more than Solo could take; each drop of sweat was one that showed more determination that Solo had.

"What controls your thoughts controls you."

"Who said that?" Surprised and startled, the young made a full turn in order to try and distinguish who had been speaking and why they were addressing him in such a mysterious manner. "Show yourself!" The voice sounded admittedly familiar, but he couldn't match a voice to a face most of the time, for so many voices had touched his ears in the past month or so since their adventure had commenced.

A shock of pink caught his eye, forcing him to stare at the spot he had seen on his turn. Connected to the pink that was really hair was a beautiful young woman clothed in a silken white robe, skin a pale blue and eyes a shade deeper than her bright pink hair. "You of all people understand that, don't you?"

"Who are…you?" Kiryl's voice shook as he took a step closer to the young woman, eyes darting from place to place on her body. What caught his eye most was the slight point to the tops of her ears. She was of elven descent? Or was that some sort of genetic gap?

"You know who I am, Kiryl." Her pink eyes, hinted with a slight shade of red as he now saw. "My name is Rose, of Rosetown. I once asked that you and your comrades help fight against Psaro."

"Then why are you here? And how do you know what I'm thinking?" While he did recall the benevolent elf that stood before her, he didn't recall her having any power that would allow her to be able to see into another's thoughts. "Tell me." Why was he suddenly so demanding? Rose had done nothing wrong, other than, he guessed, try to help him.

"I'm here to take a stroll. After you and Solo defeated Sir Roseguardin, there was no reason for me to stay in that tower. I needed a breath of fresh air." In her voice there was no hesitation; she was either a fantastic liar or telling the truth. Solely for his own madness, he chose to believe the latter prior to the former. "Why are you so bent on revenge? Surely you understand the processes of human nature, considering your chosen occupation. Do not let vengeance and hatred blind you."

"I'm not! I just don't…" Did he really know? Was he really so aware of his subconscious that he could defend himself from her words? In all honesty, Kiryl had to admit that he had been driven primarily from the desire to become better than Solo in these past few hours that he had been out alone. But could that classify him as full of vengeance and hatred? "I'm not _bent _on anything. I just want her back."

"Nobody has stolen her from you." Rose smiled slightly; gentle and soft face glowing with the hidden deep red of her tears that dwelled deep within her body. "All Solo has done is captivate her attention. If you want, you can still steal her heart away and take her for her own."

"Yes, but for that I need to be stronger. That's why I'm out here. To become more powerful. Solo is the 'hero', and so he'll always be physically stronger than I am. Unless I do something about it."

"Desiring to become powerful is fine, but you should not let it control your thoughts nor your life. That is when desire turns to obsession, and love becomes the same."

"What do you know about romance?" Why was he so harsh all of a sudden? Maybe Rose was right; maybe he was becoming obsessed with the idea of defeating Solo and taking Alena for his own. Could he be becoming evil over love? Was that possible?

"…Psaro." Rose whispered slightly, just loud enough for him to hear her reply, as though it were meant to be mysterious and therefore a cliffhanger, if it had been a movie of their lives. "He was once…my savior. When I was chased and harassed by the evil ones of your kind, it was he who stopped them. It was he who saved my life, healing my aching wounds and giving me all the care in the world. Now he is evil. He is evil because he wished to rid of the person—wished to become stronger than the _people_—who had done me wrong. While I personally know nothing of romance and obsession, I know what it can do to you. Hatred and jealousy for love, though noble, can turn you into something indescribable. Something you would never become if it were you in your right mind."

"I doubt he was good and pure prior to the humans trying to attack you." Kiryl was quite reluctant to take the word of someone who was obviously very close to the person of subject. Just as Rose would defend Psaro, he would defend Alena. Love did those sorts of things to people.

Yet, even as he spoke, a wave of realization caught up with him. After defeating Estark, hadn't the party witnessed Psaro coming forth and later disappearing alongside a few of his lackeys when news of Rose was being endangered had reached him? When did a desire to protect transform into something that could only be described as love? When this portion of information finally sunk in, Kiryl had to look upon Rose and tilt his head slightly. "You mean…?"

A nod. "Yes. Psaro did everything he did out of love and a desire to protect me. Much like what you are like to Alena. Everything you do you claim is out of love. You've sworn that true power comes from love. But what you're doing is crossing the line. You will become just like Psaro, your rival, if you continue on like this." The elf seemed quite distinct and confident in this knowledge, like she was an expert on what men thought and did.

Pausing, Kiryl permitted all of this to sink in before he made another sound. "You mean…I'm becoming obsessive? Over Alena?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'd like to take the time to once again thank my viewers for making this fanfiction a success. Your reviews make me remember why motivation is so important in writing! Without you people, I don't know if this fanfiction would be around anymore. Okay, enough with the cheesy happiness and thanks. I am thankful to all of you for taking the time to read my writing and comment on it!**

The surprise and utter bluntness of Rose's words paralyzed Kiryl with far more severity than any monster's Burning Breath could possibly achieve. Though he had spoken, the words had had yet to sink into his mind and spirit.

"Yes, I do. However, it is up to you to decide what you're really like. I have only seen you through windows of your life when you and Solo and the others visited me. I cannot accurately determine what is in your heart."

The intelligent thing, Kiryl knew, would be to leave the situation as it were and continue on to Rosetown. However, he could not let the situation rest when someone even had an idea of him being obsessive over the one Tsar Stephan had instructed him to protect.

Who was he supposed to voice his thoughts and fears to? Nobody in the party excepting Meena and perhaps Torneko would offer their support. But what if the people he confided in thought he was going mad and turned on him? He needed someone outside of the team to talk to about his fears and thoughts. Could he perhaps…talk to Rose about those things? Would _she _think he was going mad?

_"It's worth a try, though…"_

"Is something the matter, Kiryl? You seem rather distressed." Rose's paled face looked luminous in the sunlight, like she was his only hope left in this danger-ridden world.

"…Yes." It was so painful to express his feelings and emotions to someone he hardly knew, but something about her and her experiences with Psaro, be they true or false, reassured him. "I..I don't know how to go about this, but I need to talk to you about something kind of personal."

For a split second, Rose smiled as though she knew precisely what he was thinking and what he wanted to talk to her about. "Yes? Go on, Kiryl. I promise I'll listen wholeheartedly. It's been so long I've been around humans as kind as you."

At first, it didn't make sense why she had said such a thing, but then it sunk in like everything else she had said and made him nod. "Oh, of course. Where to begin…?" He considered and contemplated whether he should explain the entire story between him and Alena or to just go from where they were now.

"It's about myself and Alena. When we were beginning our adventure, it was all about the two of us and Borya. Everything was so calm and collected. We knew exactly what we were going to do, and then when Tsar Stephan—Alena's father—instructed Borya and myself to watch over her, I was so happy. I didn't understand why he wanted me to watch over his daughter rather than sending out soldiers or even keeping her at home, but then I began to understand.

"He knew and understood that Alena would never be happy surrounded by soldiers and warriors to clean up after her every mistake. And he knew that she could never be willing to take damaging blows and go for help at an inn. He knew that people would try to pretend that they were she. Borya and I were her closest companions. Alena and I grew up together and Borya was a family friend. We were the closest things Alena had to family."

"So then why are you so concerned with the way things worked out between you two? You seem like you know everything about you two."

"It's just about what you said and what everyone knows. What if I really am obsessing over Alena? What if my heart will someday become so full of darkness that I become just like Psaro and the team has to kill _me_? I could never fight Alena. Never. Just the thought of a quest for power overtaking my life so much that my heart could possibly become so plagued with darkness that I could possibly _kill _someone makes my stomach churn.

"And then the thought comes that if I can't protect Alena that she won't love me back. I already feel like she's not oblivious to my love but rather that she knows and just doesn't care. What if she knows that I'm becoming obsessed with her and is pushing herself away from me so someday when I become evil she can plunge her claws into my chest and rip out my heart?"

"Kiryl, I don't know what to tell—"

"Another thing is that…I mean…the people. What if the people around me, like my teammates, think I'm becoming crazy and are plotting my death as we speak? Everyone's been acting so cold to me lately that I don't know who to trust. I know I can trust Meena and Torneko because I've talked to them lately, but I don't know about Solo or Alena or Borya or Maya or Ragnar. They're all so strong and have never really trusted me. At least, I don't think so."

"You're overreacting. Don't worry." Rose's voice pervaded Kiryl's thoughts and constant worrying, and smiled at him gently. "Nobody is trying to attack you. You're just paranoid."

"But how can you tell? You're not part of the team or anything!"

"Think of this. You know how your team reacts to someone who is potentially dangerous, correct? Describe that."

"Well, it usually begins with someone mentioning that this person or thing seems dangerous. We don't even have to actually _say _anything. All we have to do is tense up. Our bodies represent how we feel, and we've been around each other for so long that we can read the movements and emotions of others. Then, when it's established that this intruding factor is indeed dangerous, and then we begin the assault."

"And how long does this process typically take to take place?"

"It's very quick. Our team is always ready to attack someone that threatens the world with their evil intentions. Why?"

Rose grinned such a wide smile that Kiryl was fearful that perhaps her face would split at the lips. "Kiryl, if they haven't attacked you yet and they're so quick to act, then wouldn't that reassure you that they're not _going _to attack you?"


	4. Chapter 4

"But I'm one of them. So maybe they're just plotting how to take me down." Kiryl's heart and head were full of the same deep regret and remorse as he had had when the conversation had begun and the two had first run into each other.

"How can you be part of a team when you don't trust the people who are on the same side as you?"

He considered this for a few seconds before speaking once more, heart aching with the deep pain he never knew he had. Who knew that talking to a near-stranger about something that was a surface issue could contain so much repressed emotion?

"We're hardly a team. All of us have special abilities that can either compliment or hurt each other. Meena and I are both healers. Borya and Maya are both black mages. Ragnar, Torneko and Alena are all fighters. The only thing that would make us a team is if we only had one of each class."

"If you're not a team, then what are you?"

"We're just a bunch of people who know what's wrong with people and want to change the world. We all came together because the Zenithians and the Goddess Herself wanted us to change the way things were. But why do _I _have to be left behind? Why is Torneko left behind? Because _Solo _decides what would be best for us. Because _Solo _is the Chosen One who will bring peace between Zenithians and the people on the Earth's surface. What kind of teamwork is that?"

"Not all teams are made up of one of each class, Kiryl," Rose sighed and shook her head, eyes closed to further detail her point of disapproval. "Teamwork is essentially people sticking together and working together even when they may be replaced or left behind for a little bit. It's not about someone getting all the glamour and glory a person could ask for. Now, why don't you think about why you _really _hate Solo? Do you?"

"…Yes. I hate him for taking away Alena. He had no business with us. He just came around and took her away from me." Where were those words coming from? He knew the truth; he knew that Solo had come by and risked his life and own safety to get the Feverfew Seed to plant it and feed its product, the Feverfew Root, to him. To heal him. And Alena had been with him. Just not one the team. Borya had helped Solo, too. Did that mean that Borya was against him? "But then, when I think about it…I have no idea…I don't know whether I hate him or just am jealous of him."

"Jealous? Of what? Why would you be jealous of him? He's an orphan who was raised in a village that was in constant fear of someone I used to love coming back and killing them because he was born. He was forced to bring himself to terms with the issues of trust and mistrust. How could you possibly be jealous of someone like that?" Rose blinked and touched Kiryl's stiffened arm cautiously. "Kiryl? Are you alright?"

"Rose, you don't _understand._" How could she? How could she possibly understand his emotions and tribulations? She was protected in that tower by the Master of Monsterkind/ She had had been protected and loved regardless. Psaro the Manslayer was willing to destroy the world to protect her. But him…he was on his own. He had to deal with everything on his own. His love was unrequited and denied countless times. How could she, someone so adored and sought after, understand how _he _was? "Solo was protected. People knew him and loved him. People who didn't even _know _him, like Ragnar, traveled away from their homelands to help him. But me? I can't even get the woman I love to come to me and accept my feelings as true. Solo appears and everything I'd worked up to disappears right before my eyes. Can you understand that? How _could _you?"

"I'm not asking for you to accept me or even trust me. I want you to realize that maybe _you're _the cause for the lack of teamwork." Rose's bright red eyes that shone like the rubies they produced suddenly turned dark and ominous. "Kiryl, you will _never _win Alena's heart. If you keep acting the way you are right now, you'll end up just like Psaro."

Like in so many books he had read and stories he had composed, Kiryl backed away slowly and shook his head. "I will _never _be like Psaro. He's evil. His magic is so powerful and dark. I fight for life and for Alena. How could you say that?"

"Your anger is already taking over. Your outburst just then proves it. You claim that nobody gets you, but perhaps you don't let anyone in your life. Your mind is so centered on trying to please Alena that you're letting your emotions bottle up inside until, one day, you will explode upon someone." As though his arm were made up of the curse that his death spells cast upon opponents, Rose drew back her hand and clenched it tight within the other. "Kiryl, please. If you really love Alena, stop this. Stop your quest for vengeance against Solo and just…be a teammate."

"I…I don't need…" His blue eyes widened and brightened with the realization that his mind had become so polluted and twisted that not even Rose, the one who was kind and reasonable to all, was quite sick of him and was treating him like _he _was the opponent in all of this. "Rose…I'm sorry."

Ruby tears welled up in the elf girl's eyes and began falling from their place, hitting the ground with soft _clinks _and _thuds _as they hit each other upon contact. "I can't believe so many people are becoming like them. Like the humans. The humans that hunted me. First Psaro, and now the Chosen Ones. This world is doomed unless everyone wakes up and realizes that you can… Never mind."

"Rose, I want to protect you. I want to protect the world."

"No, you don't!" Face turning as red as the tears that fell from her eyes, Rose stared at him in such an intense fashion that it would be a death-glare on anyone else's face. "You want to protect your own ego and Alena. As long as you can get closer to Alena, you don't care what happens to the rest of the world."

Had her strategy been to upset Kiryl to the point that he would break and admit his own faults, she would have succeeded. However, that had not been her ultimate goal.

"Listen. If the world ends, who cares about love? I control life and death. I know what it feels like to kill something even when it's out to kill you. Do you think it's easy for every human to take a life because of the ones that once hunted you? Most humans have problems with fighting and killing. Most humans also have emotional issues. Yes, I love a woman who will probably never love me back. Yes, I'm jealous because said woman loves the hero—someone I will never compare to—but I'm not willing to _kill _the guy."

Shaking her head, Rose turned away and crossed her arms. "Humans talk big. They like to think that when it all comes down to it, they won't act foolishly or be self-serving. Fact is, unless you're a hero of some sort, you will _always _put yourself first. I'm sorry to tell you that, Kiryl, but it's true."

"…No." He said, voice powered by the strength of a thousand battles put behind him. "You're wrong. When I was ill, Alena risked her life to save my life. Not her own. She went into a monster's nest to get a legendary seed that may have not even been there. When we were fighting together, I would risk my life for Alena or Borya. If you think humans are all evil, then you're mistaken."

"All humans have evil within their bodies."

"Which means that all humans have purity in their bodies." Kiryl smiled and crossed his arms triumphantly, pleased with himself that he had aspired to become a priest. Had he trained to become a guard, he may have not had that philosophy within his body. "Rose, you're so focused on what's evil about humans that you don't ever stop to consider that perhaps humans are just like your own kind. Psaro and Solo are the same. You're right, Solo went through a lot. But so did we all. Now, if you'll excuse me—"

"Stop. Don't go anywhere." Rose commanded, turning around slightly so the wind picked up her hair and tossed it messily across her face. Stepping forward, she shyly opened her arms and wrapped them about Kiryl's figure, squeezing tight and burying her face into his chest. He could feel the smooth, cold surface of the rubies that were forcing themselves to be formed from her puffy eyes and smiled.

"It'll be okay. I promise."

"I…I miss Psaro. I miss when he would talk like that, about people being good at the center. I miss him thinking of himself as a genuine hero. Like when he first rescued me and named me. The suh-smile that crossed his fuh-face…I'll nuh-never see a smile like that eh-ever again."

The two stood there, embraced with the female crying and the male comforting her broken soul as his own mended and healed itself once more.

"Kiryl…?" Rose's voice awoke him from his dreams of grandeur and happiness, though he didn't mind. After the time they had spent together, he felt like she would always be a sacred haven for his soul. "It's time for you to go. I hear that Ragnar and Maya were searching for you."

"Ragnar and Maya?" _Why would Solo deploy those two together?_ "Are we leaving?"

"I have no idea." He opened his eyes and saw her kneeling beside him, smiling and handing him the miter he always wore. "You fell asleep, though."

Nodding as he took the holy headgear, Kiryl smiled and gave her a quick hug. "What can I say? Confessing makes me tired. That's why I never do it. A true adventurer can't be tired unless they're near an inn and about to collapse."

The elf girl returned the hug, though her facial expression was twisted into more of a forced smile than anything else. "Don't leave. I don't want you to leave. I need someone to tell me everything will be okay. I need someone to comfort and protect me. Psaro won't come back here again. He's gone. I know he's gone."

"Rose, I can't. I have to protect everyone else. Remember, humans are always out for themselves. Elves definitely don't have that problem, right?" He winked and grinned at her plea for him to stay, though he knew that she was serious and needed someone, anyone to defend her emotionally and physically. "Don't you have someone else who could help you around here?"

She shook her head solemnly, looking down slightly as she pulled away from the hug. "Kiryl, nobody around here takes me seriously. Half of them don't believe I'm still alive. The others still believe Psaro is a good person, er, _monster._ They don't believe Psaro could ever do _anything _evil. It's like he's the Golden Man around here."

"Surely you don't despise him for that, Rose. He founded this place." He rose slowly, ensuring that everything was in place and there was no dirt or dust on him. If he was going to meet up with the rest of the team, he wanted to look at least presentable. After a moment's pause, he held out a hand for Rose to grab, which she accepted most eagerly.

She hesitated for a moment, but then shrugged. "I don't _hate _him for it. I just wish he were still with me."

"Everyone who is in love wishes the one they love to be with them forever. Yet, it seems as though fate enjoys playing mind games with us. The more we long for someone to be with us, the less likely it is that they will respond to you in any way."

They began walking together back to Rosetown without either of them really realizing it, their strides slow and short.

"How does someone forbidden from loving know so much about the sensation? How does someone like you know exactly what to say when someone is having any sort of relationship problems?" Rose looked up at him, clinging to his arm in a most possessive manner before it sinking in on what exactly she was doing, at which point she eased up and released her protective mannerism. "And why can't you take your own advice if you're so good at giving advice?"

The young priest looked up to the darkening skies, a faraway look in his bright eyes. "You learn to observe people and see what works and what doesn't when you're forbidden from being with the one you love. I can _love, _but I can never love _Alena._ She's a princess, and I'm a priest. Somewhere, my brain knows it will never work out. But my heart…my heart says differently. Sometimes, it's better to listen to the logical side of your brain. I've seen the way relationships work out. The knowledge is _there._ That's how I can help others. But as for me helping myself…that's another flaw humans have. They can't follow their own advice. They think their problems are so extreme that they're an exception to the advice they throw around like rice at a wedding."

"Can I tell you something?" Her voice went serious and solid, like it was something important she had to say.

"Of course. What is it?"

"What you just said. About humans not being able to follow their own words because they think they're the extreme."

"And?"

She smiled and got up on the tips of her toes to whisper in his ear. "Elves are the same way."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I apologize for the rapid uploads of this story, but I'm afraid that my schedule will pick up again and I don't want to leave this little gem to fester and lose my interest again. I'm estimating that this will be my longest fanfiction on this side, which is pretty exciting. Instead of it just being a quick little flick like I usually write, I'm experimenting and planning on making this an actual story. I hope I don't lose my typical readers because of this change and hope this will attract more readers! Have a good day and thanks for reading!**

"They…are?" _Then why was she preaching about how much holier elves are than humans?_ "I was under the assumption…"

"I know. We elves are too proud to admit that we have anything to do with humans. It comes with the superiority complex we have over the humans throughout history."

Her excuse made sense to him, but it seemed rather odd that she was so willing to admit that elves were just as susceptible to those 'human' urges that, well, humans were. Weren't elves supposed to hate humans? Weren't elves supposed to keep their secrecy? Why was Rose being so open with Kiryl despite his rejecting of her proposal for him to stay there in Rosetown with her and become her new Sir Roseguardin? Was she planning to trick him to stay with her somehow through sweet-talking him?

"I can tell you're confused, Kiryl. Why don't you voice your concerns to me?" Her voice was so innocent and pure; how could he think that she was plotting and scheming? "Please, let me into your heart."

"Well…I was wondering why you're being so open with me. Aren't you elves supposed to give humans like me the cold shoulder and cast us out of your utopian societies? Shouldn't you be keeping to yourself?" A pause ensued before he performed the ending blow that could potentially hurt her emotionally. "I'm not staying no matter how much you plead or desire me to. I have a life elsewhere."

"I know, Kiryl. Don't misunderstand me. I have no intention of deceiving you so you stay here with me, though it would be comforting." A slight frown flashed across her face for a split second. "I just want you to know that you have a friend in me. If you or your team ever needs anything, feel free to come and seek my help. I may be able to help you someday."

He nodded and smiled, grateful for once that he had actually expressed himself. Perhaps keeping to oneself was not as danger-evading as he had once thought. Maybe those like Maya who were fearless and were willing to be open with anyone had the right idea of people andhow to get what they wanted out of life. Maybe _he _was the wrong one. "Thank you, Rose. I enjoyed our time together immensely."

"Kiryl! We were looking everywhere for you!" Sure enough, Maya's feminine, husky voice permeated his ears and perked his interest incredulously. Her voice had that affect on people regardless; you could be in the middle of the most intense battle of your life, but if she asked something at a whisper you would hear her. "Why are you with the elf girl?"

"I was speaking to him about your adventure." Before Kiryl could spout a terrible lie like he always managed to do, Rose spoke up and covered for him at the perfect speed where it didn't seem forced or fake but just fast enough so there wasn't a pause as though she were trying to come up with a lie. "He had concerns over how to defeat Psaro, and came to me because I know him better than anyone."

"Regardless, it's time tae gang noo, Kiryl." Ragnar's thick accent joined in as the two confronted him, standing before priest and elf as they stared each other down. "Ur ye quite ready?"

Kiryl first looked to Rose, whose nod informed him that it was finally fine to go. "…Yes. I'm ready. Where are we headed now? Has Solo returned from his adventure to find the Zenithian equipment?"

"Och aye. Solo wood loch fur ye tae join he an' Alena tae fin' th' final piece, th' Zenithian Sword."

"Me? Why not someone else?"

It was here that Maya spoke up once more after being temporarily overshadowed by the two males in the party. "He needs a healer, and Meena's healing magic isn't quite as good as your's. And he can only bring two other people. Some voice from the top of a tree told him that, at least."

"Then of course I'll go. Where is he?" Though his heart wasn't in it to continue alongside the Hero of Zenithia and the Planet, Kiryl knew that he needed to regain the trust of the team. Even if Rose was right and they didn't suspect he was acting strange because he was changing for the side of Estark, he wanted to have that safety net beneath him in case he _did _mess up somewhere down the road.

"Outside the village with the hot-air balloon." Maya kept looking at him with a very strange, skeptical look, as though she knew what he and Rose had been talking about and knew that Kiryl's heart was not as pure as he pretended it was. "You'd better hurry before Solo gets here and thinks you're becoming friends with Monsterkind."

"Maya, gonnae-no it wi' yer a bampot notions. Solo woods ne'er hink a teammate woods betray him." Immediately, Ragnar drew his sword and held it out between the two parties as though he was keeping the two of them safe from Kiryl and Rose. As though Kiryl himself were not a welcome party member.

"All of you stop!" Rose exclaimed, eyes widening and filling with liquid rubies. "Stop treating Kiryl like he's your foe! All he's done is try to protect all of you and keep you all healthy, and you're acting like he's going to turn all of you against each other and stray you away from your main goal!"

The two went silent, and Ragnar returned his sword to his sheath. Confused expression on his face, he stared at Rose and slightly went closer. "Wa ur ye protectin' heem, Rose? We're nae gonnae dae heem onie harm. We jist fin' it odd 'at he woods stray awa' frae th' team unless he hud somethin' tae hide, ye see." The look in his eyes became strangely calm and kind, like he were dealing with an old friend instead of a foresworn enemy like humans and elves had been brought up to believe.

"Listen, I'll just go see Solo. I promise I'm not doing anything wrong. Rose was just feeling depressed and so I did my duty as a priest. Why would I do anything else? Priests are sworn to help anyone in need, not just those who share your race. I don't suppose a _sol_—"

_What was he doing? Already, he was beginning to question the orders and thoughts of his party? When had he become so hostile?_

"Fuh-forgive me. I didn't mean to sound so hostile. I just mean to say that we don't always understand what the other classes must do in the world. I am sorry, Ragnar. Please forgive me."

"Huir uv a weel. We shaa depart immediately, 'en." Ragnar and Maya then turned away, with only Maya turning back for a moment to give him a small wave and reluctant smile.

"I can't believe that just happened…" Kiryl breathed, holding his head in his hands. "Rose, what's going on with me? I don't mean to be turning evil or anything…but every time I try and talk to one of my party members unless it's Meena or Alena…I feel like I'm going to get into a fight or be betrayed."

She nodded and gave a weak smile, taking his hand in hers. "Kiryl, I don't know what to tell you. I can't tell you what's going on with your mind or heart. Only you can find that out. And when you do, your adventure will be complete. Just remember that an adventure is to grow, not to become the most powerful man in the world. Keep your goals in mind and you'll grow to become the man you've always dreamed of." Rose then released his hand and patted him on the back gently. "Now go join your teammates."

With a smile, he went forth and followed in the footsteps of Ragnar and Maya, waving behind him to show that Rose would always be in his mind as he began his adventure anew.


	6. Chapter 6

_"What did Rose mean by that? 'Keep your goals in mind and you'll grow to become the man you've always dreamed of'?_

"Kiryl? What's wrong? You seem out of it!" Gloved fingers appeared before his eyes, waving around and rubbing together to create a loud snap that repeated itself over and over again. "Wake up!"

"Huh? What?" He blinked a few times and looked up to the owner of the fingers, who of course was Alena herself. It was just like him to space out and doze off right in front of the woman he was supposed to be protecting. What a terrible bodyguard he was! "Are we there yet?"

"Yes. Solo is getting our things together so we can get going." Her face was so full of childish happiness that he could hardly tell that she was an adult already. After so many years of seeing her, it was hardly imaginable that she was finally an adult.

"I see. So what shall we do about this Zenithian Sword? What must we do to receive it? Fight another battle? Or is it just a straight shot to the sword?"

"Well…" Alena looked around before she sat down beside Kiryl and smiled. "Some voice came from atop the tree when Solo, Maya, Meena, and I were coming around here. Then we talked to some of the elves around this tree that people were calling the Yggdrasil Tree, or the Tree of Life. Some old folklore, I suppose. But Solo is convinced that the Zenithian Sword is on top of this tree somewhere."

Slowly, Kiryl nodded, but there was still some confusion that he felt about this quest. Though he had no reason to not believe Alena, there was skepticism about the sudden change in the air surrounding the adventure. It had gone from a conquest to protect the lands around their homelands to an item fetch-quest in about three days. "Alena, why did Solo bring me along? Is it really because Meena's magic isn't good enough to heal all of us on this journey?"

"Actually, I have no idea. You'll have to ask him yourself." She shrugged and rose, turning away from her childhood friend.

It took him another moment to realize that he was sitting around here alone with his childhood friend and the love of his life and all he could do was smile and talk about business. "Our adventure has been pretty wild, eh? Not at all like we thought it was going to be like." Lame as it was as a conversation-starter, Kiryl decided that anything was better than nothing. He couldn't lose her interest now.

"What do you mean?" Genuine confusion at his blunt and random statement caused Alena to physically turn around and stare at the young priest. "Our adventure is exactly how I imagined it being in my imagination. I'd rather be out here fighting monsters three times my size than be wherever my father wound up."

_"What a morbid thought."_ Hard as he tried, it was difficult for him to shake off her comment. How could she ignore death and disappearance like that? It was as though her father's death had had no effect on her at all! _"What is wrong with her nowadays? Just a few months ago, she would still be mourning the loss of her father!"_ "You mean, you don't miss him at all?"

"Wait, what? No! I do miss my father!" Alena's face turned bright red at the exclamation, as though she were embarrassed at the rage Kiryl had awakened in her accidentally. "It's just that…mourning brings back no one. We have to fight to bring people back! When Psaro dies, then everything will go back to normal!"

A sigh of relief escaped his lips. At least she felt some form of sympathy and depression at the loss of her father. Perhaps Alena had not changed as much as he had once assumed.

"Why do you ask? Why bring up our adventure all of a sudden?"

_"Because I want to know if you still remember me as your friend."_

_ "Because I've longed to hear your voice since Solo decided that he was going to bring you everywhere."_

_ "Because I love you."_

"…No special reason. Just making conversation, I suppose." His face became red at the thoughts that had entered his thoughts when thinking of a good, strong response to her question. "So how are things? We haven't had a lot of time to talk anymore, ever since Solo decided that you were such a great fighter." Hard as he was trying, his words sounded like accusations more and more, and less like words exchanged between friends.

"I know! Isn't it great? The hero thinks that I'm strong! If only my father could have recognized it! Maybe then he would have let me leave sooner!"

This was no longer her getting over her losses by going into denial. No. She seemed too…happy that her father was gone and couldn't tell her what to do. Or was it denial? It didn't seem as though she were trying to deny the fact that her father was gone; she just seemed to be relieved to be away from his iron fist.

"But you do miss him, correct?" Kiryl could have asked that question a thousand times, each time expecting a different answer than the time before. "I mean, he's your father. You have to…miss him, right?"

"Yes. Kiryl, what's wrong with you lately? You seem kind of…_angry_, almost. You're usually not like this. What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

_"She cares about me! She wants to know if I'm doing alright!"_ The thought that entered his mind was foolish and irrational, but the feeling that perhaps she _did _actually care for him as more than a friend made him smile on the inside with glee. "Yes, I'm fine. I just don't think that you should be celebrating your successes when your father is missing and everyone is in turmoil because of Psaro the Manslayer."

"I try to not think of people who will never come back. My father will come back. He never respected me as a fighter. He wanted me to become a lady, and then he disappeared because he wanted me to go. He had a dream that said that we were going to be in trouble because of monster from Underworld, but…"

The sound of a throat clearing interrupted their conversation, leading Kiryl to groan and look over to see the Hero himself standing there, all geared up with the remainder of the bright silver, white, and green Zenithian Equipment with his Sleep Blade in hand, the golden hilt shimmering in his heavy hands. Since he could hear no words from the mute man, all the attention that would otherwise be undertaken by hearing could be distributed to sight.

"Oh, Solo!" Nearly instantly, Alena's eyes lit up as she kicked into a slight skip during her approach toward him. "Are you ready to climb the Tree of Life and find the final piece to your equipment?" She looked back at her friend and gave a weak smile as though it pained her to be here with him. "Thank you for inviting Kiryl, though. I told you he would be if great assistance."

_"So Alena wanted me to come along? It wasn't just because Meena's magic isn't as good as mine on a healing manner of speaking?"_ How many reasons would arise as to why he was here alongside the two of them and Meena was left behind?


	7. Chapter 7

"You mean…?" A blush was dusted across his face as he smiled, looking down at himself in self-pleasure. "You mean…you wanted me around? It wasn't just a decision on who can heal better between the pair of us?"

"No, of course not. What would make you think that?" Alena appeared confused, as though that thought had never occurred to her. "We've known each other forever; do you think a bit of magic would change my thoughts about you?"

His heart thumped and swelled in his chest as he smiled, thinking this over and feeling his spirits sour with unbridled pride. Though it wasn't love, she _cared about him. _She cared about him beyond simple friendship or the desire to talk to him whenever she needed to confess something. Had he always been so blind to this? "I just thought that battle would be seen as a higher priority to you at this point than friendships or relationships in general."

A confused look crossed her face in particular, making her shrug by choice and causing her muscle to create a shaking motion. The princess said nothing, but her disbelief was clear on her pale skinned face. Somehow, a large gap had formed between the two of them. He no longer knew who she was, and he was unsure if the feeling was mutual.

"I…I'm sorry for misunderstanding. You just seem so…into the fight. I didn't think that people in the heat of battle could still focus on sentimental things." He didn't care if she sighed or didn't believe what he was saying or even commented on what he was saying.

Alena looked dreadfully confused before she spoke ever so softly. "Of course I'm into the fight. When you fight, it is for life and death. You cannot take time to think or feel in the heat of the battle."

What she was saying was true, but that did little to change his opinion of her and what he thought of her. Yes, he had been mistaken. Or had he been? How could he really know truth from lies with her?

Why was he thinking these things? The princess would never lie to him. It wasn't in her nature to lie to someone she had known for so long.

He was becoming so skeptical of everyone regardless of his past relations with them. This was beyond paranoia from the field of battle. This was an unbridled demon attempting to overrun his brain with prayers and belief in Estark rather than the Goddess and the Zenithian Dragon God. What kind of man was he becoming? What breed of a man would forget his own training and beliefs because of one or two foolish feelings? This wasn't like him. He knew it wasn't.

But how to change that? How to fix something that he had already created?

_"Maybe the problem isn't me. Maybe it's the class itself. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a priest like I once thought."_

No, that wasn't it. His heart and soul were pure, and he knew that. For whatever reason that only the Goddess Herself knew, he was being conflicted with his emotional state. Being paranoid was normal. Just because he was a little scared that someone was lying to him didn't make him crazy or unfit for his job.

It made him human.

_Human._ That's one thing Solo would never have. That was one thing that no Zenithian or deity could hold against him. He was born from the love of human parents and fought for that love with his life, no matter what.

Feeling immensely more confident, Kiryl nodded and bowed ever so slightly to the dear princess he held so close to the core of his being. His parents had fought against evil for him, and his ancestors their own lives and the lives of those dear to him. He would fight for himself and Alena.

"That does make sense." The sentence came all too late; Alena nearly jumped at the sound of him finally speaking again. "I'm sorry for misunderstanding. I just assumed—"

"To be honest, I don't think you're into this battle as much as you think you are." Alena's words were harsh and raked at his soul like the claws of Estark's minions. "The rest of us seem so into the battle, and you and Meena sit back and act like this is normal. Like we're not all fighting for our lives. Even Torneko seems like he wants this more than the two of you." A softer expression took perch upon her cheekbones now. "No offense. I just don't want you coming on this quest because you two are obligated to."

Perhaps she hadn't meant those words, but the expressions that she was portraying were massively different from one another. The princess was moving from black to white in an instant, and Kiryl was having difficulty keeping up. Was he supposed to be offended or not? Was that a joke? Was she really that worried about him?

Why was his brain picking up every little thing and analyzing it like it was some question on a test of theology and faith? Alena would never be cruel to him. She always told the truth, as hurtful and embarrassing as it was to the recipient. She would never just yell at him and accuse him of not being in it to win and protect something.

All the same, Kiryl felt obligated to fight back, subtle as the attempt was.

"I cannot speak for Meena, but I know that I desire to fight against Psaro and the rest of his minions that would dare stand in our path. I'm fighting not only for Zamoksva and your father, but yo-" he barely caught himself there, "-your people as well. All the people in the world. This battle isn't just to protect a sacrifice. This battle is about life versus death and the Goddess versus the Master of Monsterkind. Zenithia and Nadiria are fighting, not just us." Rather than a battle return, that had sounded more like a speech that he would give in church, but that was the only place where he felt all eyes on him and that people would listen to him.

_"As though I'm some wandering sheep who doesn't know that people do care about me."_ The words and realization sounded empty and monotonous in the vast expanse of his mind. _"I know that people care. But for me, someone who obviously doesn't seem like I'm battle-hungry, I find it hard to believe that people would take my words entirely to heart."_

Alena went silent during the duration of his speech, and even for a short time afterward. However, as she always did, she spoke back to him.

"…I trust you." That had not been what he had been expecting, but at least she had said that and not something of the oppositional nature. "I know you're not as riled up for battle as Solo or Ragnar, but I trust that you _do _care about this and that you _do _want to do this for the good of both Zenithia and the rest of the world, and not just yourself. Or because you're obligated to for whatever reason."

_ "I am obligated to. But not because of what she thinks. She thinks it's because I feel bad. I'm doing this for you, Alena. Not for just me, and not for just the world. If only you could see that."_

"Is something wrong?" He jumped in surprise at her words. He hadn't spaced out that time any longer than he had some other time. "You're looking at me strange."

_"I should tell her. I should."_

Courageous as he was in battle, he couldn't bear to. The idea of rejection was too powerful for him to take a chance and confess to her his love. His body may be strong and getting stronger from this adventure, but his soul and mind definitely weren't.

_"I've seen death and sickness and I've brought people back from the dead, but I can't get my head straight or tell her what I think of her."_

"Yes. I'm fine. I just…spaced out there for a moment." Despair and regret overtook him as he realized that _this _was the reason why she had become interested in Solo and treated him like just another friend. He was so distant from her, and always swallowed his feelings. Of course she would take interest in someone who actually did something about their feelings and impressed her.

"Good. Because we have to be off." For once, Solo spoke, much to Kiryl and Alena's surprise. Not just because he had spoken, but because they had honestly forgotten his existence during their conversation. Why hadn't he spoken sooner? And how had the pair of them both forgotten that he existed?

"Of course we do. My apologies." Kiryl looked down and cursed himself for not saying something sooner once more. He had had the opportunity, and instead had wasted that chance by not doing anything but chatting about his own weaknesses and strengths as well as Alena's. The chance had happened, though he was rather glad he had not said anything. Confessing his love and opening himself up to rejection in front of the Hero of Zenithia? That rejection would be the most painful of any. "I didn't mean to keep you waiting, listening to our-"

"It's fine. Let's go." Again, Solo had interrupted the apologies and words of Kiryl. So much for him being important to the team or even to him. Of course. Solo didn't require someone else to heal him. He was the hero, and could heal or do damage far beyond his own. "We need to go defeat Psaro and bring peace to Zenithia and the world."

Alena was finally silent for that, offering Kiryl only an intense stare that could have meant anything from apology to a form of distaste for forgetting the hero. If it was the latter, Kiryl could only feel a deep hatred, for she had also forgotten about his existence. It was embarrassing that they had both forgotten someone, but at least they had heard his voice for the first time in, well, ever.

Kiryl also remained silent as Solo took command of the hot air balloon and piloted them toward the middle island of the world; a place that nobody had ever gotten to because of the sharp reefs that surrounded the perimeter fully.

"Where are we headed, Solo?" She finally spoke again, but this time it was toward Solo and not him. Silently, Kiryl sighed at the disappointment. "We've never been here before. Do you know where you're going?"

The hero regained his silence, shrugging in response to her words. "If we knew where we were going, then it wouldn't be an adventure, would it?"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: First of all, I'd like to apologize to everyone reading and following this fanfiction for the long hiatus before this chapter was posted. I guarantee that the remaining chapters will not have long interludes of nothingness in between!**

"Why did you bring me along? Alena…did you ask him to bring me?"

The two of them looked at him, Solo's face wrought with confusion as he looked at Alena, whose face was just as bright as the gems that inhabited her eyes.

"Of course." Yeah, as though it were as obvious as her voice made it sounds as though it were. Sure, he'd dreamed even recently of her requesting for him to be taken on adventures so he wasn't taking up space in the wagon with Torneko or Borya, but fantasies and realities were very different places. This was, in fact, a dream come true.

But why only the three of them? Sure, a smaller party was far easier to heal and worry over, but on the other hand only three party members meant that the two most involved in the love triangle would be in a party with only the third member of the triangle there to attempt to be a buffer.

All in all, while this was a pretty well-balanced party, it was terrible on account of personal relationships. So much for this being a dream come true. Now it was more of one of those dreams where everything was perfect and then just one thing happened and everything was just ruined.

"Some elves told Solo and I that if we want to climb the tree, we can only bring the three of us." There, at least now he had a real explanation. That was at least a start. Now he needed to let it go and focus on the mission at hand. He'd been focusing all too much on his own weaknesses, and that was hardly appropriate. He had his skills. Solo winning Alena's heart at present did not mean they would be together forever.

No, but now he was doubting Alena's romantic decisions. That was hardly appropriate either.

Still, it was time to go on the mission. He'd been re-equipped earlier on to ensure his helpfulness in battle, thankfully.

In the tree they went, clambering over branches and tiptoeing over thick platforms of leaves, Solo at one point handing Alena a leaf from the landing they had reached. Maybe it was an item that would unlock something or give them some special benefits, like those seeds that made him feel full of life and made him move faster in battle.

It seemed very strange that Solo was so intent on coming here and bringing them along, but he couldn't keep second-guessing someone who was admittedly in charge. Solo had the map and had this hunch of where to go next that Kiryl couldn't disagree with.

At the top, where he could see beyond the mountain range that surrounded this small village and out to the landscape beyond, he heard a voice.An ever so slight and soft one, but his ears that had been honed to hear for the slithering, flapping, or dragging sounds of potential threats, he was still conscious and aware of it.

It was asking for help. For a hero to come and help them. Yes, the voice sounded like it belonged to a woman, or at the very least a young woman. Nothing younger than that, though. Of course, they had to go over there and help the speaker out.

The three of them went closer, finding an angel—Zenithian, rather—lying there amongst the leaves, quite honestly half-covered with them. How long had she been there? Had she been the one to tell the elves surrounding the base of the tree to tell them someone should come and assist them? How could she have communicated with them from all the way up here? Kiryl looked out at the surrounding landscape again and saw that they were far too high up for anyone to hear someone at this distance. Then again, she was a Zenithian, so perhaps she had some sort of psychic ability. Based upon what he had seen and heard thus far, anything was possible.

Goddess, now she was asking to join them. Hopefully she wouldn't replace one of their party members like so many other guests they had encountered, but if she didn't it's not like he would ever complain about it. They may be the chosen ones, but that didn't mean they didn't need a break every once in a while. The sole fact that they could learn from one another out on the field from the wagon taught them enough in order to gain the experience for an upcoming battle. Of course, it became problematic when the wagon couldn't venture into one of the caverns they always seemed to need to go into, but most of the time it was fair in the fact that Solo would bring the ones with lesser battle experience onward to the next location. That strategy certainly helped working things out when people became jealous of new equipment or abilities learned through excessive practice.

Somewhere while he was away with the faeries, she actually joined them and the other three had wandered off. So much for keeping him alongside them. Well, he certainly should have been paying more attention to what was going on, in their defense. As if they needed to be defended at all. No, they were perfect just the way they were. All of them were.

When had he changed so much? Just a few days ago he had been hating himself for everything he couldn't be and practically declaring war upon Solo over a love interest. But no, now he was beyond that. Perhaps the Goddess had blessed him with mental insight and understanding, as all pioneers of Her word must possess. Perhaps this was a sign from Her Benevolence to continue on with his training. That all of those negative emotions should be purged and squelched like poison from someone's veins. Nothing and nobody should be plagued with such Nadirian thoughts as those.

Just as they were about halfway through the Yggdrasil Tree, they ran into another battle, and that's when another pang of jealousy smacked Kiryl in the face. Orifiela, as he had been informed the Zenithian was christened, was a definite replacement for he and Meena. Not only was she one of the healing classes, she was also much quicker than he could ever dream of being. Now if only Solo didn't dedicate all of those agility-granting seeds to Ragnar (though he certainly did deserve them), he may stand a chance.

Still, he had to think of the good side. Though she was faster than he was, she was also deaf to all of Solo's battle techniques. While all healers were supposed to do what they were best out and protect the people who needed it on account of their generally low attack power and high health, Orifiela seemed to deny all those basic thoughts and instead attacked or cast random spells that were, in fact, worthless in the midst of battle when someone was in desperate need of healing, as he had learned in a battle nearing the end of the tree.

All he could do was hope that maybe Solo would realize that this was not a good person to bring along, even if they were on their way to Zenithia. Speaking of which, had they even retrieved the Sword? Could he really have missed that much in his ignorance of what was going on? 


	9. Chapter 9

The journey down to the base of the Yggdrasil Tree was full of battles and with Kiryl continuing to wonder if the sword they'd come here looking for really was, well, here. They'd been to every cave and cavern in the world, and that giant red "X" they'd worked so hard to reach was the only other possibility as to where the sword was. If they'd gotten it, why was Solo still clinging to the Dragonsbane? Shouldn't he be using the legendary weapon itself?

But if the weapon wasn't there, where could it possibly be? Not in Zenithia; they needed all of the equipment of there to enter the Stairway, and it was otherwise nowhere to be found. Orifiela hadn't been hanging onto it, either.

"This is it." The whole party was gathered outside of the Tree in a semi-circle, Solo away from them and slowly pulling out a very dull, faded sword with a green handle and no sheath to be seen. "The Zenithian Sword. The legendary weapon." At least Solo was finally holding a meeting and sharing details of what had happened. "We found it along with Orifiela."

When he heard no overpowering reaction about the finding, Kiryl scanned his team. Alena, Borya, and Meena were quite stoic and serious in their expressions, with a glimmer of pride and excitement in Alena's eyes and one of intrigue in Meena's. Torneko was visibly excited, eyes shimmering with unbridled intrigue. Oh, right. He'd left his homeland to search for that very blade.

"Why is it so dull?" Of all people, Maya was the one to first speak about the finding. "It's a legendary blade, _non_? Should it not be…more regal-looking?"

Once again, Maya had voiced what they had all been thinking. The typical first impression that she was some dimwitted dancer was far from true. They had all quickly learned that.

"This is how we found it." Evidently, this conversation was going to involve Solo and Maya primarily. They had so many party members but somehow their conversations always seemed to be rather linear and between just a few people.

"We should bring it to Zenithia. Perhaps they lost it here on the world and drained it of its powers to protect it from falling into the wrong hands." All eyes turned to Borya, who had just now decided to become involved in the conversation.

"Yes, we must go see the Zenith Dragon." _Now _Orifiela was sharing what she knew. "I would gladly fly you all there, but I fear my wing is broken, as I told the Hero."

They needed to go all the way to the Kingdom of Zenithia in order to recharge a sword. Well, that still certainly wasn't the strangest thing he had ever heard of. This adventure was certainly going to assist him in his training. Already, he had learned to comfort someone who had lost a person very close to them, to keep faith despite the odds, and even to return the deceased to the world of the living.

Just as Rose had expected. She had deterred him from making a fatal mistake of letting the evil waves of jealousy and hatred take him over. Before they went to stop Psaro, he needed to thank her and see her again. Humans were always after her, and Psaro was incapable of protecting her anymore since he had gone down the wrong path.

"We should go back to Rosehill." At least he hadn't interrupted anyone. "They have the best equipment, and Rose may have more hints as to how to defeat Psaro the Manslayer." Another scan of the party told him that everyone else was fine with that.

"Any other ideas?" When nobody answered Solo, they all got up and ended the party-talk. It had been very nice to have one of those, and it was almost a shame that the adventure was nearly done, because they'd all be going back to where they'd come from.

The eight of them got in the hot air balloon and flew back to Rosehill, stopping just outside of its gates. It was still nighttime, and after that adventure in the last "dungeon" they should all really rest for the night. After all, there was no rush to get going. They had all the time in the world they needed.

For tonight, they would all relax and try and recharge. Inn fares were always so expensive, so trying to sleep it off on their own might be a better idea. Even if it was only for tonight.


End file.
